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Memory Questions


Introduction

This document addresses memory questions for the HP 10b, 12c, 12c paltinum, 17bii, 17bii+, 19bii, 32sii, 33s, 38g, 39g, 39g+, 40g, 40gs, , 48gii, 48gx, 48g+, 49g, and 49g+ calculators.

Calculator symbol key

The procedures in this document use the following text to represent symbol keys:
KeyDescriptionText representation
Right shift key RS
Left-shift key LS
colored key; shift key SHIFT
Backspace/clear backspace
Accumulates statistical data SUM+
Statistics register. SUM

Clearing all portions of memory (10b, 12c, 12c platinum, 17bii, 17bii+, 19bii, 32sii, 33s)

10b

C or backspace clears the display. SHIFT, CLEAR ALL clears all the registers. To erase memory, press and hold down C, then press and hold down both N and SUM+. Memory is cleared and the "ALL CLR" message is displayed when all three keys are released.

12c, 12c platinum

Clearing a register of the display replaces the number in it with zero. Clearing program memory replaces the instructions there with "g GTO 00". There are several clearing operations on the HP12c, as shown in the table below.
Key(s)Clears
Press CLxDisplay and X-register
Press f, then CLEARSUMStatistics registers (R1 through R6), stack registers, and display
Press f, then CLEARPRGMProgram memory (only when pressed in Program mode).
Press f, then CLEARFINFinancial registers.
Press f, then CLEARREGData storage registers, financial registers, stack and LAST X registers, and display.

17bii, 17bii+

Backspace clears the display. SHIFT, CLEAR DATA clears the lists or variables accessible from the current menu.
Erasing continuous memory erases all user-stored information except the current date and time.
To erase continuous memory, press and hold down CLR, the leftmost menu key, and the rightmost menu key. (Press the three keys simultaneously.) When the three keys are released, the calculator displays "MEMORY LOST."

19bii

SHIFT, then CLEAR DATA clears the history stack. SHIFT, then CLEAR DATA also clears current variables and lists, depending on which menu the HP 19bii is displaying. Erasing continuous memory is a way of freeing a large amount of memory to be used for other things. In addition, the calculator is set to certain default settings.
Erasing continuous memory does the following:
  • Clears the calculator line and history stack.
  • Clears all values stored in built-in variable.
  • Deletes all equations entered into the solver and their variables.
  • Clears SUM, CFLO, and TEXT lists, including their names.
  • Clears all appointments.
  • Sets these conditions: month/day/year date format, 12-hour time format, 2 decimal places (FIX 2), period (.) decimal point, beeper on, Degrees mode, tracer printing off, printer without AC adapter, and Double Space mode off.
  • Maintains the selected mode-ALG or RPN.
Erasing continuous memory does not affect the current date and time or language.
To erase continuous memory, do the following:
  1. Press and hold down the ON key.
  2. Press and hold down the leftmost menu key.
  3. Press the rightmost menu key. (Three keys will be pressed simultaneously.)
When the three keys are released, the HP 19bii displays: "MEMORY LOST."
If the calculator fails to respond to keystrokes and performing a reset operation or changing the batteries is unable to restore the operation, erasing continuous memory might restore calculator function.
Continuous memory might inadvertently be erased if the calculator is dropped or if power is interrupted. If "MEMORY LOST" occurs automatically, the calculator displays the INTL menu the next time it is turned on.

32sii, 33s

Pressing LS, CLEAR displays the CLEAR menu, which offers the option of clearing all variables, all programs (in program entry only), the statistics registers, or all of user memory (not during program entry).

What to do when the calculator displays the message "INSUFFICIENT MEMORY" (17bii, 17bii+, 19bii)

17bii, 17bii+

The calculator has approximately 6,750 units (or "bytes" of user memory available). This is separate from the system memory that stores all the unerasable information with which the calculator is manufactured. The table below describes the memory requirements of stored information.
The calculator displays "INSUFFICIENT MEMORY" if an operation is attempted that uses more memory than is currently available. If this message appears, do the following:
  1. Complete any calculations in the calculator line (press [=] or CLR). This frees the memory that was being used to store each of the numbers and operators.
  2. To further increase the amount of available memory, do the following:
    • Rename the named SUM and CFLO lists with shorter names, and clear any lists that are no longer needed.
    • Shorten or delete any messages with appointments.
    • Delete any solver variables or equations that are no longer needed.

Memory requirements

Type of informationAmount of memory used
CFLO number lists (excluding the list name) 10.5 bytes per list, + 9.5 bytes per flow entry (flow amount and #TIMES)
SUM number lists (excluding the list name) 16 bytes per list, + 8 bytes per item
Names of lists 1 byte, + 1 byte per character
Equations 10.5 bytes, + 1 byte per character (spaces are counted as characters), including name
Solver variables 15 bytes per variable, + 1 byte per character in the variables' name
Calculator line Numbers: 8 bytes. = 1 byte per character Operators: 3.5 bytes
Appointment messages 41 bytes for the first message stores, + 1 byte per character in each message

19bii

The HP 19bii has approximately 6,600 units (or "bytes") of calculator memory available for use.
The message "INSUFFICIENT MEMORY" message displays when an attempt is being made to perform an operation that uses more calculator memory than is available. Here are some suggestions for dealing with this situation:
  1. Whenever the message is displayed, complete any arithmetic calculations in process in the calculator line (press [=] or SHIFT, then CLEAR).
  2. To further reduce the amount of occupied memory, do the following:
    • Delete any Solver variables no longer needed.
    • Delete any equations no longer needed.
    • Clear any SUM, CFLO, and TEXT lists no longer needed.
    • Delete any TEXT entries no longer needed.
    • Delete unneeded individual and global labels from SUM lists.
    • Rename any named equations and SUM, CFLO, and TEXT lists to shorter names.
    • Shorten or delete any appointment messages.

Recovering information once the calculator says "MEMORY LOST" (10b, 17bii, 17bii+, 19bii)

RAM is a volatile form of data storage. The 10b, 17bii, 17bii+, and 19bii calculators do not have a permanent storage device like a disk-drive. If power is lost and/or data is erased, it is gone forever.

Determining how much free memory is left in the calculator (38g, 39g, 40g, 40gs, 48g series, 49g)

38g

The amount of memory available may be displayed by using a SYSEVAL command, which is not supported by Hewlett-Packard. Use this feature carefully:
  1. If not at the Home screen, press HOME.
  2. On the edit line, key in the following: SYSEVAL 535863.
  3. Press SHIFT. The bytes of available memory will be displayed on the right side of the screen.

39g, 40g, 39g+, 40gs

The amount of memory available may be displayed by presing shift MEMORY (, button) on the calcualtor. the memory available will be displayed on the top right corner of the screen.

48gx, 48g+

Press LS, MEMORY, then MEM. The number of bytes of available memory will appear at the lower right corner of the display. For example, an empty memory for the HP 48gx should show approximately 127,000 bytes of internal RAM (with no RAM cards installed).

49g, 48gii, 49g+

Pressing LS, then FILES shows the unused memory in each of the HP 49g calculator's ports. Port 0 is the calculator's main memory (RAM). Port 1 is extended memory (like a RAM card in the HP 48). Port 2 is the FLASH ROM. FLASH memory will hold data even when no power is available and is a good place to archive if lacking a connection to a PC. Port 3 represents the SD cord, if inserted in the HP 49g+.

The calculator has displayed the message "MEMORY FULL" (32sii, 33s)

Clear a portion of memory before proceeding. See the 32sii section under “How to clear all portions of memory” above.